Manchester United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2018

bangkok

LeeJM wrote: »

If the players put in the effort on the pitch that Bangkok does on a daily basis to WUM his way through this thread everyday I'm sure we would be closer to City. Bangkok you can post as many articles, have as many "feels" and avoid as many questions as you want, it will never change the fact that everyday you come in here and post utter crap and for whatever reason people continue to engage with you. It baffles me. I'll take whatever ban I get for this gladly, I am just sick of your constant need for attention and that the thread must constantly revolve around whatever your latest bullsh*t post is.

Post utter crap everyday? Ok

Adamcp898

M!Ck^ wrote: »

https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/974631426980306946?s=19

Makes me wonder what the plan for CB is in the Summer, would've thought he would've been first on the chopping block.

Bailly and Jones would stay because they're probably the best CB's at the club but they're injury prone, Smalling for no better reason than he isn't, and Lindelof because I didn't think we'd be ready to take the hit on him and ship him off already but perhaps we are.

Or maybe we're not planning any CB additions at all :eek:

Either way I don't see us keeping 6 senior CB's.

Lord TSC

Said it yesterday, Rojo was going nowhere, not after stories of him leaping to Jose's defence post City.

StringerBell

Jones and Smalling would be on the chopping block ahead of Rojo in the managers eyes imo.

Andrew Beef

I would much prefer City to win rather than Liverpool. There is no contest.

Andrew Beef

Andrew Beef wrote: »

I would much prefer City to win rather than Liverpool. There is no contest.

FACT!

Lord TSC

StringerBell wrote: »

Jones and Smalling would be on the chopping block ahead of Rojo in the managers eyes imo.

Jones seems to have the passion that Jose likes. If he was fit, he'd probably be first choice beside Bailly. And I think he'd be happier to sit on the bench.

Smalling' days are numbered though

Lord TSC

Wonder how the shorter window this summer, coupled with the World Cup, will affect transfers. I'd imagine that the club will want as much done as possible as soon as the window opens.

Liam McPoyle

Drumpot wrote: »

So Pep has spent nearly 30% more on transfers then Jose. Why do people not feel this has any relevance to the expected results/success?

That’s €140 million in quality that Pep has been able to acquire.

You see people will no doubt say “that doesn’t explain our crap football” which is true. But it does mean that it is harder for any united manager to build a team to the very best level, when there is a team consistently outspending them.

Before people start saying “well what about net spend”, I would say look at city’s spending for the last 10 years. Most season it’s more then united so it stands to reason that have a more expensive squad and can get more money for players they offload. So net spend is a red herring argument.

A fair question is if city are spending 30% more then united on transfers why should united fans EXPECT the team to be challanging or overtaking them?

We have spent an obscene amount of money so even though City have spent more, we shouldn't be as far off as we are tbh.

They have been more than 30% better than us this year.

Hope for the remainder of the season are consolidate second and win the FA Cup.

Draw a line under the season and move on.

TitianGerm

TitianGerm wrote: »

Who did United get?...... Oh wait they weren't in the draw :P

Lads I'd anyone thought I was trolling with this post I'm sorry, that wasn't the intention at all. Two years posting in here and I don't think I've ever been accused of it before.

Trigger

TitianGerm wrote: »

Lads I'd anyone thought I was trolling with this post I'm sorry, that wasn't the intention at all. Two years posting in here and I don't think I've ever been accused of it before.

2 years? You change your username?

TitianGerm

astradave wrote: »

2 years? You change your username?

Oh yeah i forgot :pac: its Emmet

pjohnson

Titian is called a M!Ck fanboy tbf so unlikely he was trolling.

jayo26

TitianGerm wrote: »

Oh yeah i forgot :pac: its Emmet

So you were then hahahaha

I couldn't give a toss if you were or not but the fact is if one of us posted what you did in the pool thread we would of been hounded out and carded.

With the crap that's be spouted over there I don't see how you could post what you did and expect it to be taken any other way then weak attempt at winding someone up.

Would of expected better from you but then again getting through an extra round in a cup competition goes to people's heads.

Drumpot

Business Cat wrote: »

We have spent an obscene amount of money so even though City have spent more, we shouldn't be as far off as we are tbh.

They have been more than 30% better than us this year.

Hope for the remainder of the season are consolidate second and win the FA Cup.

Draw a line under the season and move on.

I’m sorry but the club hasn’t spent an obscene amount of money in comparison to city. That’s a sound bite statement that in isolation weakens any defense of Jose by just ignoring this fact. If we want united to overtake city and they are the benchmark team in the league then we have to ask what role spending has in the clubs status.

Why should any manager of united overtake city? Maybe they will play better football but they still manage a club that spends far less then a team they are supposed to overtake.

City are spending more consistently. By default that makes the United managers job harder as they have less resources to mount a challange for the league.

This is a club that sold Ronaldo for 80mil and replaced him with Valencia for less then a quarter of that fee. The headline spending sounds impressive but it’s not when you dig down deeper.

I know most united fans don’t like to address the club owners questions but United’s spending is never impressive in comparison to the big spenders in Europe. At best it’s level.

Between 2002 and 2014 United’s record transfer was rio Ferdinand! Even now uniyeds record transfer is less then half the world record for a player. The most expensive player united have is also valued as a very marketable commodity. Coincidence or just a convenient element of getting a player who certainly hasn’t been playing like a 100mil player.

Even if we look at Sanchez. It looked like he was going to join city all day until they pulled out. So united got a player who wanted to join another club (Di Maria anybody?!).

This is all relevant when we look at our expectations as fans. Why should united be ahead of city if they continue to outspend us? Why should any united manager take the club above them if he cant compete for players against them?

kona

Im getting a horrible feeling that citeh name is on the trophy this year. Handy group, another handy draw. Looks like they may not meet a proper team until the semis.

TitianGerm

jayo26 wrote: »

So you were then hahahaha

I couldn't give a toss if you were or not but the fact is if one of us posted what you did in the pool thread we would of been hounded out and carded.

With the crap that's be spouted over there I don't see how you could post what you did and expect it to be taken any other way then weak attempt at winding someone up.

Would of expected better from you but then again getting through an extra round in a cup competition goes to people's heads.

I wouldn't chase you out but I'm sure plenty of people could take it the wrong way, that's why I apologized here because it wasn't my intention to troll.

TitianGerm

pjohnson wrote: »

Titian is called a M!Ck fanboy tbf so unlikely he was trolling.

Yea that was an odd one. Clearly I'm a Jayop guy but he's left now :pac:

J. Marston

The possibility of Liverpool having double the amount of Champions Leagues as us cannot be entertained.

"Blue mooooon....."

beno619

Lord TSC wrote: »

Said it yesterday, Rojo was going nowhere, not after stories of him leaping to Jose's defence post City.

Missed this, any links ?

Delboy5

Jose presser:

"Those stats are real. I give you a couple more, in the last seven years the worst position of Manchester City in the Premier League was fourth, in the last seven years Manchester City was champions twice and if you want to say three times, they were second twice.

That’s heritage. Do you know what is also heritage? Is that Otamendi, KDB, Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, they are investments from the past, not from the last two years, do you know how many of United players that left the club last season?

See where they play, how they play, if they play. That’s football heritage and one day when I leave the next MU manager will find here Lukaku, Matic, of course De Gea from many years ago, they will find players with a diff mentality, quality, background, with a different status, know-how, and for some reason you go to the Champions League quarter final like today and there are four clubs that are always there, always there. Barcelona is always there in the past seven, eight years, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich and then of course appear now and again, another club like my Inter, like some other clubs like Monaco last season, but the ones that are always there is for some reason and the good thing for me and the amazing feeling for me is that I am exactly on the same page as the owners, as Mr Woodward, Mr Arnold, we are on exactly the same page, we agree on everything, on the investments, that we have what we have, the investments that we are going to do will be season after season, we are exactly on the same page, so life is good. I have an amazing job to do. Yesterday I met a new person we have working in the club in a different area that came from another club and I ask why did you decide to come. The person told me I did a fantastic club in another job and at this club I have a huge job and I come for the challenge.

Well done, my decision was based on the same thing, I could be in another country with the league in the pocket, I am here and I am going to be here and no way am I going to change my mentality. I don’t know if you know the expression but there is a code that I like Every wall is a door. I am not going to run away or disappear or to cry because I heard a few boos, I’m not going to disappear from the tunnel, running immediately, the next match I will be the first to go out. I am not afraid of my responsibilities.

When I was 20 i was nobody in football, I was somebody’s son, with a lot of pride, and now with 55 I am what I am I did what I did because of work and because of talent and my mentality. So they can be together, I understand that for many many many years was really really hard for the people who doesn’t like me, here he is again, here he wins again. For 10 months I win nothing, the last title that I won was 10 months ago, I beat Liverpool, Chelsea, I lose against Sevilla and now is their moment to be happy. I learn that in my religious formation, be happy with others happiness, so be it, I am a really happy guy."

Trigger

TitianGerm wrote: »

Oh yeah i forgot :pac: its Emmet

I had a feeling but it’s against the charter to say it on thread

Mitch Connor

Well. Jose has lost it.

What a fecking berk.

Doesn't matter what United did 5 years ago. He has been employed and given huge money to improve the club over that happen in that 4 years - CAUSE THE MANAGER IN CHARGE DURING MOST OF THAT GOT SACKED FOR THOSE PERFORMANCES.

I'd sack him this afternoon, based on that stupid defensive rant.

Mitch Connor

Drumpot wrote: »

So Pep has spent nearly 30% more on transfers then Jose. Why do people not feel this has any relevance to the expected results/success?

That’s €140 million in quality that Pep has been able to acquire.

You see people will no doubt say “that doesn’t explain our crap football” which is true. But it does mean that it is harder for any united manager to build a team to the very best level, when there is a team consistently outspending them.

Before people start saying “well what about net spend”, I would say look at city’s spending for the last 10 years. Most season it’s more then united so it stands to reason that have a more expensive squad and can get more money for players they offload. So net spend is a red herring argument.

A fair question is if city are spending 30% more then united on transfers why should united fans EXPECT the team to be challanging or overtaking them?

I expect them to not be totally outplayed twice by a team like Seville.

I've consistently said City's lead is insane and while I feel United should be closer I don't feel we could realistically expect to be ahead of them.

The issue is not that City are ahead - the issue is that United are playing crap football, not getting the best out of the players that are available and got dumped out of the CL by a team we should have hammered.

You point to City's spending over ours as proof of why its not logical to think we should be ahead of them - how much does our spending dwarf Seville?

Drumpot

Mitch Connor wrote: »

I expect them to not be totally outplayed twice by a team like Seville.

I've consistently said City's lead is insane and while I feel United should be closer I don't feel we could realistically expect to be ahead of them.

The issue is not that City are ahead - the issue is that United are playing crap football, not getting the best out of the players that are available and got dumped out of the CL by a team we should have hammered.

You point to City's spending over ours as proof of why its not logical to think we should be ahead of them - how much does our spending dwarf Seville?

So you accept there is no reasonable reason why we should expect to overtake city while we spend far less each summer?

Madrid are a similar points Talley behind Barca and nobody is wondering how Chelsea can fall so far as champions. Jose’s point is united haven’t been a top 2 team or champions league contender for a long time. He took over a squad that had little pedigree.

Mitch Connor

Drumpot wrote: »

So you accept there is no reasonable reason why we should expect to overtake city while we spend far less each summer?

To a point, yes, but there should be context.

If City keep setting a record pace, then logically it is difficult for anyone to catch them or pass them.

United need to improve to a level where they can match the City results vs everyone else, so that the games vs City become deciders.

City are a better side, and have had better investment. Logically they should be ahead of us - but we only play them in the league 2 times a season. Logically there is no reason why we can't work (and invest) to be beating everyone else consistently so that the points difference becomes smaller - so that we can be in a position to put pressure on them.

United can, and should, do better than we have seen this season - even if I think getting more points than City have so far is unrealistic to expect of the side.

Mitch Connor

Drumpot wrote: »

So you accept there is no reasonable reason why we should expect to overtake city while we spend far less each summer?

Madrid are a similar points Talley behind Barca and nobody is wondering how Chelsea can fall so far as champions. Jose’s point is united haven’t been a top 2 team or champions league contender for a long time. He took over a squad that had little pedigree.

Pleny are questioning Madrid domestically. Zidane is under pressure as manager over it.

People have questioned Chelsea (and pointed to they transfer strategy and the apparent rift between Conte and the club).

However, I don't care how they are performing. I care how United perform on a game to game basis because I am a United supporter and I measure United's success by their ability to beat teams and progress towards the top of the game - not by the failings of other clubs.

StringerBell

Some funny quotes coming up on my phone from mourinho press conference

J. Marston

He's done an LVG and has a sheet of stats...

https://twitter.com/samuelluckhurst/status/974653381536108546

Dope.

bangkok

'Jose: I won't cry over a few boos'

http://www.skysports.com/share/11292246

So we need to lower our expectations... cant even beat sevilla and he talking sh1t

Drumpot

Mitch Connor wrote: »

To a point, yes, but there should be context.

If City keep setting a record pace, then logically it is difficult for anyone to catch them or pass them.

United need to improve to a level where they can match the City results vs everyone else, so that the games vs City become deciders.

City are a better side, and have had better investment. Logically they should be ahead of us - but we only play them in the league 2 times a season. Logically there is no reason why we can't work (and invest) to be beating everyone else consistently so that the points difference becomes smaller - so that we can be in a position to put pressure on them.

United can, and should, do better than we have seen this season - even if I think getting more points than City have so far is unrealistic to expect of the side.

But do you not see the issue ?

If we were going to play Fantasy football and I was starting with a budget of €100 million and you started with €73, you would ask how you are expected to mount a proper challenge. . why would that be fair ? That is in essence what is being expected from Jose . .

Play good or comparably good football. Stay in the top 4. Get some success of some sort.

And he inherited a squad that the previous three years struggled to make it into the top 4, did nothing in the champions league and a club that looked lost after losing a top manager/Ceo.

His comments on Juventus, Madrid, Barca, PSG, Chelsea or City are that these clubs, over the last 10 years , have generally been at the top table in Europe or their leagues. These teams haven't suffered the damage that United has suffered since losing SAF. I think this is a very valid, fair point.

Pep inherited a stronger squad that was consistently in the champions league and generally comfortable in the top 4 for the previous 3 seasons. Jose inherited a squad that , in those three seasons, looked awful and lost.

So add to that, the fact that Pep gets to strengthen his squad with €140million more in resources and the question of whether United (as a club) has been spending its money wisely (not just Jose), I feel the job Jose had is infinitely more complicated then the one that Pep got.

Jose won the champions league with Porto and Inter with less resources then other top teams. This suggests his football style, while not great to watch, is a great equaliser when he is up against a limited budget (limited to rivals).

Ronaldo didn't win the league until Jose became Madrid manager. People forget that only Jose beat Pep in Spain and that was considered one of the greatest teams (Barca) of all time. This suggests he can mix it up with Pep, but he inherited a much stronger squad in Madrid.

I remember days like the Seville game under Fergie. I remember defending Fergie in the baron years in the 00s and this feels quite similar. Its a complete rebuild of the squad and the club in many regards. We can want better football and expect it in the longer term, but I think its reasonable to expect upsets while he trys to get things right.

The Seville result was terrible. The performance was terrible. But why can the team play effective defencive, counter attacking football, against Chelsea (energetic comeback) and Liverpool and yet be so poor against such a weaker team ? Why can they play better against better opposition ? Why is it all Jose's fault that they played poorly against Seville ? The problem wasn't so much the tactics as the implementation. Otherwise why can the team play so well against a better Liverpool team just 4 days earlier ? Why should Jose of anticipated that the same tactics wouldn't work against a weaker Seville ?

I'm not putting the Seville defeat all down to players, but I think the tactics were certainly not the only problem.

I just feel that there is a lack of acceptance from many fans of how far the club had fallen when Jose had taken over and the work he has done in dragging us back into a situation where we can even talk about potentially challenging for the league . We don't need to talk about finishing top 4, we are talking about how do we compete with city next season. We are pissed off we got knocked out of the champions league in the knockouts, back to where we were under SAF days when we expect to be in the knockouts.

I think this can be a glass half full or half empty situation. I don't think the United managers position is like any other position in the league. The pressure is greater, the expectation is greater, the budget is high but lower then City , the fans expect to be entertained while you rebuild the club and the margins for error are quite small.

Adamocovic

If José comments are to go by we'll be seeing the same midweek squad. Maybe he sees it as some sort of chance for them to go out and redeem themselves.

When asked by MUTV’s Mark Sullivan if any injured players will be available to face Brighton, Mourinho said: “No, not yet. [The squad is] exactly the same [as Sevilla].”

Safely say that if we lose tomorrow this place could turn messy. Only chance we have is if people are too drunk to operate boards!

pjohnson

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Well. Jose has lost it.

What a fecking berk.

Doesn't matter what United did 5 years ago. He has been employed and given huge money to improve the club over that happen in that 4 years - CAUSE THE MANAGER IN CHARGE DURING MOST OF THAT GOT SACKED FOR THOSE PERFORMANCES.

I'd sack him this afternoon, based on that stupid defensive rant.

Thats the bathwater, baby and emirtion all thrown out at once :pac:

Drumpot

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Pleny are questioning Madrid domestically. Zidane is under pressure as manager over it.

People have questioned Chelsea (and pointed to they transfer strategy and the apparent rift between Conte and the club).

However, I don't care how they are performing. I care how United perform on a game to game basis because I am a United supporter and I measure United's success by their ability to beat teams and progress towards the top of the game - not by the failings of other clubs.

What Chelsea, city and Madrid have shown us is that the modern football squad can capitulate in the league from one season to another. I have seen some people say they would like Zidane to take over, but what explanation is there for Madrid's disastrous league form ?

You cant judge United or its manager in isolation if you want to see the bigger picture. If you only judge them on a game by game basis you most certainly are not taking an objective stance . .

DM_7

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Well. Jose has lost it.

What a fecking berk.

Doesn't matter what United did 5 years ago. He has been employed and given huge money to improve the club over that happen in that 4 years - CAUSE THE MANAGER IN CHARGE DURING MOST OF THAT GOT SACKED FOR THOSE PERFORMANCES.

I'd sack him this afternoon, based on that stupid defensive rant.

I clearly read those quotes in a different way.

pjohnson

DM_7 wrote: »

I clearly read those quotes in a different way.

I take it you weren't looking for an excuse to sack him then?

Turtwig

Transfer spending should always be adjusted for inflation. In particular, pre and post Neymar.

Jose seems to forget for 3 Christmases in a row now we have a really strong inclination over who the EPL winner is going to be. The cynic in me believes he knows this but is just playing into the prejudices about so called English football.

Mitch Connor

DM_7 wrote: »

I clearly read those quotes in a different way.

He is saying United don't have the football heritage to expect better than going out, outplayed twice, to Seville.

That is an unacceptable view for the well paid and well backed manager of United to have.

The Seville game was a massive disappointment and he should address it as being such; not that it was all we could reasonably expect.

beno619

Mitch Connor wrote: »

He is saying United don't have the football heritage to expect better than going out, outplayed twice, to Seville.

That is an unacceptable view for the well paid and well backed manager of United to have.

The Seville game was a massive disappointment and he should address it as being such; not that it was all we could reasonably expect.

He's saying that the other teams have been better for us for a while and it might take longer for us to get to where we want to be.

Mitch Connor

beno619 wrote: »

He's saying that the other teams have been better for us for a while and it might take longer for us to get to where we want to be.

Are Seville one of them?

We didn't get knocked out by City, or Real Madrid, or Juventus, or PSG, or Bayern.

We got knocked out by Seville - that is the important context to be knocked out.

Turtwig

To be fair Sevilla are a lot like the Arsenal of la liga at the moment. On their day they'r very good and could probably give anyone a game. Often times though they are just so so.

That said I agree the tactics for both legs of the tie were bad. Player orientated defences against technical la liga sides just doesn't really work these days.

bangkok

Steven Nzonzi plays in midfield for sevilla and he bosses it. Says it all really

beno619

Turtwig wrote: »

To be fair Sevilla are a lot like the Arsenal of la liga at the moment. On their day they'r very good and could probably give anyone a game. Often times though they are just so so.

That said I agree the tactics for both legs of the tie were bad. Player orientated defences against technical la liga sides just doesn't really work these days.

Its certainly no excuse but they are a better side than the narrative would lead you to believe.

beno619

Mitch Connor wrote: »

We got knocked out by Seville - that is the important context to be knocked out.

Clearly the context isn't one match.
Our season wont be defined by one result.
Jaysus lad get over it.

beno619

bangkok wrote: »

Steven Nzonzi plays in midfield for sevilla and he bosses it. Says it all really

Where was the best player in the world Pogba ?

Why didnt he boss it for 30 mins ?

Mitch Connor

beno619 wrote: »

Its certainly no excuse but they are a better side than the narrative would lead you to believe.

Are they a better side than you would expect United to be over 2 legs?

Are they a better side than you could expect Mourinho, after 3 windows, loads of money and 2 seasons to have built?

The answer to both of those is 'No', in my opinion.

Not making the quarter finals, given the draw, is an failure - just as not making the semi finals of the League Cup was a failure.

For Jose to argue that our 'football heritage' shows that these knock outs are simply what United fans should expect is a shocking indictment of his attitude to the club.

I actually can't believe their are fans that are buying into his guff.

Do I expect us to be better than City or Barcelona? No. Do I expect us to be better than Seville - YOU ARE GOD DAMN RIGHT I DO. If we are, at this stage, not better than Seville than Jose Mourinho has failed to do a satisfactory job.

AND we didn't get knocked out unluckily. We didn't pepper seville and get caught out, we didn't do anything to deserve a victoty - we got totally outplayed for 99% of the tie. We didn't even go toe to toe with them in two great battles. We were comfortably second best in both games.

But sure that is all a United fan can expect cause previous seasons were sh1t too.

bennyl10

beno619 wrote: »

Clearly the context isn't one match.
Our season wont be defined by one result.
Jaysus lad get over it.

See this is logical,
There's people taliking about the defeat in the champions league as if its the be all and end all,
We were all disappointed on Tuesday night, but Jesus let's not lose the complete rag!!
We're second in he league, we've beaten Liverpool and chelsea in the least month.

We've made Improvements this year based on last year,
And We're still in serious contention for a trophy.

In no way do you sack a manager who has obviously had a team improve in the league, especially oiver one game

We're not chelsea ffs!

Mitch Connor

beno619 wrote: »

Clearly the context isn't one match.
Our season wont be defined by one result.
Jaysus lad get over it.

How about you just hop out of the discussion on Jose's attitude to being knocked out if you don't want to discuss United being knocked out, and Jose's attitude towards it.

paulbok

J. Marston wrote: »

The possibility of Liverpool having double the amount of Champions Leagues as us cannot be entertained.

"Blue mooooon....."

There is also the potential if City win it, and Arsenal win the Europa, that 4th place misses out Next Year

bangkok

beno619 wrote: »

Where was the best player in the world Pogba ?

Why didnt he boss it for 30 mins ?

He was on the bench for majority of game in favour of fellaini